


The Haunted Hotel

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Spooky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Adam doesn't believe Malcolm when he tells him the hotel has a reputation for being haunted.  It seems he's mistaken.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7
Collections: What If? AU Challenge





	The Haunted Hotel

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DW's What If AU 'Supernatural' Challenge

“It’s a nice hotel you’re going to,” Malcolm said as he handed Adam the details. “Although it does have a reputation for being haunted.”

“I’ll be sure to ask any grey ladies or headless horsemen for their autographs if I meet them,” Adam replied cheerfully. “And assuming I’m not trapped by the ghouls or ghosties I’ll be back on Friday.”

It was a glorious autumn day, and Adam enjoyed the drive to the country hotel. He was there ostensibly as a businessman looking for a few days break in the countryside, relaxing, strolling in the grounds and making use of the extensive facilities. In reality, he was hoping that a group who were reputed to be establishing contacts who could be of use to a far eastern power, would attempt to recruit him.

The hotel was very comfortable and, once unpacked, Adam went down to the bar. He bought a drink and went to sit in one of the well-upholstered leather armchairs, from where he could observe some of the other guests. No-one came to join him, but this was not a surprise, he doubted any approach would be made too quickly. At one point he thought someone took the armchair next to his, but when he looked across a few minutes later there was no-one there.

After a while, he went into the restaurant for dinner, and then, following a short walk he decided to have an early night. Once again, as he walked up the staircase, he felt as if someone brushed past his arm, but when he looked there was nobody close by.

***

Adam woke suddenly in the night. The room was in darkness; there was a small amount of light shining through the curtains, which Adam assumed came from the hotel’s external lights. He peered round the room, wondering what had woken him. 

Then he spotted a man sitting on a chair before the desk. Adam sat up in alarm.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The man stood up, walked across the room, and disappeared through the door.

Adam leapt out of bed and went to open the door to follow the man, but it was locked. Confused, he went back to his bed and sank down on it.

Adam concluded it must have been a trick of the light and went back to sleep. When he woke the next morning at first he thought he must have dreamt the whole episode, but when he looked at the chair he distinctly remembered he’d pushed it under the desk the night before, and now it was in the middle of the floor.

He was still musing on the event when he went down to breakfast. There, he selected a table in one of the corners of the room and helped himself to the buffet. After a while, a woman came over and asked if it would be all right if she shared his table.

“Please do,” Adam said. “It’s getting quite busy.”

“Thank you,” the woman replied. “I’m only having coffee and a croissant, and it seems a shame to take up a whole table just for that.”

Another man came and joined them. Adam was about to say something, but the new man put his finger to his lips, and Adam realised the woman couldn’t see him.

Adam and the woman, who introduced herself as Lara, made conversation for a few minutes, after which Lara, having finished her breakfast, departed. The ghost, Adam couldn’t think of a better description, also disappeared.

Rather to his surprise, Adam didn’t see any more of the ghost for the rest of the day. And although he made a point of taking coffee in the lounge and wandering through the rose garden in the afternoon, no-one made any attempt to speak to him, other than with a polite nod, a good morning or afternoon, and a comment about the weather. 

By the time he went down to dinner, he was feeling somewhat frustrated. He was due to leave after lunch the following day, and he had made no progress with his mission. He had hoped breakfast with Lara would lead on to something, but it appeared this had been a dead end.

However, as he entered the dining room, a man approached him and said, “Would you care to join us for dinner? I believe you spoke to my wife, Lara, this morning.”

“Thank you, I should enjoy that.”

They walked over to the table where Lara and another guest were already seated. Adam took the vacant chair and was surprised at not being introduced to the other man. He thought no more about it, since the conversation took the direction he had been hoping for.

It wasn’t until the waiter brought over the first course, and there were only three plates, that Adam realised this was his ghost. He wanted to have a good look at the ghost, but it was difficult to find a reason to stare at an empty chair when it was on one side of him.

The conversation continued over the main course. Once or twice Adam risked a glimpse at the ghost and realised that the white shirt it was wearing was slowly turning red over the heart, as if he was bleeding. Each time Adam looked, the blood had spread further, so that by the time they had finished eating, about one-third of the shirt was completely blood-stained.

Adam declined a dessert, having rather lost his appetite, and Jeff, Lara’s husband, suggested they have coffee on the terrace. Adam started to agree, but the ghost shook his head so violently, that Adam added that he would go and fetch a jumper from his bedroom and join Jeff and Lara there.

As he walked up to his room, Adam tried to decide what to do. It seemed ridiculous to be listening to the views of a ghost, but, at the same time, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. When he opened his bedroom door, he saw the ghost was waiting for him.

“Do you speak?” Adam demanded.

The ghost looked at him and then pointed at the window. Adam went over, and quietly opened it. He realised he could look down onto the end of the terrace. He could just make out Lara and Jeff standing there.

Their voices drifted up to him.

“What do you think?” Jeff asked.

“It’s him, all right,” Lara replied.

“We need to silence him, there’s no knowing how much he’s found out.”

“Spike his drink, and when he’s drugged, we’ll take his body down to the car and get rid of him.”

Adam turned to the ghost. “How do they know?”

The ghost mimed a small animal with its hands.

“A mole?”

The ghost nodded.

Adam sat on the bed. “My cover’s blown. How long do I have?”

The ghost looked sorrowfully down at his own chest.

Adam swore. “Right. I’ll pack and leave immediately. I’ll tell reception something came up and I had to get back to work.”

Rapidly, Adam packed. As he was about to leave the room, he looked back to see the ghost waving to him rather sadly.

“Thanks, mate!” Adam said.

***

Once he was back home, Adam messaged Ros to tell her that his mission had been compromised.

She phoned him back. “We need to get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can. We cannot afford to have a mole. Harry’s bringing in a contact who he thinks may be able to help us in the hunt. When you come in tomorrow morning, I’ll introduce you.”

When Adam arrived on the Grid the following morning, the new man was already there, looking out of the window.

“Lucas, let me introduce you to Adam Carter,” Ros said.

The man turned round and Adam instantly recognised the haunted expression. Involuntarily, Adam looked down at Lucas’ chest, although there was no sign of the blood stain.

“Adam, what’s the matter?” Ros asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”


End file.
